Chair



T. R. HAYES Feb. 21, 1933.

CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheef. 1

Filed Dec. 2, 1930 Feb. 21, 1933'. I T. R. HAYES 1,898,834

CHAIR Filed Dec. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.1 FIG-7: 7.

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 Parent orrieu TEQB ZAS R. HAYES, OF MONROVIA, GALUQRHIA omens .Application filed December 2, 1930. Serial No. 499,4-20.

My invention relates particularly to collapsibleor folding chairs of the class in which the seat is composed of flexible material such as a woven fabric, and is especially directed to the means whereby the seat may be removably connected with its supporting frame members.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a folding chair with seat-supporting means that so cooperate with the relatively movable frame members as to relieve the seat from the usual tensile strains incident, in folding chairs, to the spreading action of the chair frames.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a collapsible chair so constructed and arranged as to maintain the side frames in parallel relation irrespective of their relatively adjacent or separated positions.

Further objects of my invention are to so simplify the construction of a collapsible chair by reducing the number of structural parts as to, greatly reduce the cost of manufacture.

My invention comprehends a folding chair in which the seat-supporting rails are directly attached to the toggles or trellis braces or struts, and rotate with respect to sliders that traverse the leg stiles of the respective frames in changingfrom its extended or'operative position to its collapsed or inoperative position or vice versa, and said trellis struts are so hingedly connected to the chair rungs as to enable the chair frames to so closely approach each other as to occupy a minimum space when collapsed.

Specifically stated, the form of my invention as hereinafter'described comprises a folding or collapsible chair having relatively movable side frames provided with recesses into which removable hinge members may be embedded with their pintle axes'in the plane of said frame, and to which diagonal relatively crossed trellis struts are pivoted, said struts having their free ends connected to seat supporting rails the ends of which are provided with relatively pivoted channeled members slidably embracing the" leg stiles of the side frames; a foldable backrest pivotally connected in removable and replaceable relation to the back stiles of said frames serves.to cooperate with the seat in supporting the weight thereon, and a leg connecting bar upon which a readily removable and replaceable arm-rest having relatively angular surfaces of difiering surface extent may be rotatably supported.

My invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding or collapsible chair constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the seat supporting rails with its end fittings and fragments of the trellis struts attached; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the lower portions of the leg stiles and the connecting rung of one of the chair frames; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hingeboxing or fitting; Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the chair folded into its collapsed or inoperative position; Figs. 6 and 7 are front elevations of the frames at the op- 'cessed regions and showing the removable hinge boxing by which the trellis bars are so connected with the chair frames thatthe pintle axis lies in the plane of the leg stiles of the respective frames; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the keepers that serve to retain the arm-rest rotatably supported on the cylindrical rod or bar that connects the forward and back leg stiles.

Insaid figures, the right side frame of the chair comprises the front leg stile 1 and the back leg stile 2, and the left side frame comprises the front leg stile 3 andthe back leg stile 4, the stiles 1 and 2 being connected by the rung 5 and arm 6, and the leg stiles 3 and 4 being connected by the rung 7 and arm 8.

As shown in Fig. 2, the seat-supportin rails 13 and 14 are provided with flanged en fittings 17 and 18, rotatably engaged therewith as by screws 19 and 20, and preferably U- shaped or channeled so as to respectively embrace the leg stiles 1 and 2 or the leg stiles 3 and 4, as may be, in slidable relation.

The seat-supporting rail 13 is secured to the upper endsof the trellis struts 22 and 23 which are pivotally connected with the rung 7 of the left side frame, and the seat-supporting rail 14 is secured to the upper ends of the trellis struts 25 and 26, which are pivotally connected with the rung 5 of the right side frame, the trellis struts 22 and 25 and the trellis struts 23 and 26 being also pivotally connected intermediate of their end or at their region of crossing as at 27.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the rungs 5 and 7 are provided with recesses 29 and 30 arranged to receive the hinge boxings 31 which, as best illustrated in Fig. 4, have the upstanding lateral wings 32 and 33, respectively provided with the pivotal projecting cones 34 and 35, by which the trellis struts may be hingedly connected to said rungs, and also having the depending attachment lug 36 provided with the aperture 37 arranged to receive the screw 38, see Fig. 9, by which said hinge boxings may be so detachably secured to said rungs, that the axis of the cones will be between the planes of the inner and outer surfaces of the forward and back leg stiles, as best illustrated in Fig. 9. Saidcones fit into cone sockets 39 in said struts.

The back-rest 50 is formed of a bag-like structure closed at the top and open at the bottom, preferably formed of fabric, embracing the back stretcher bars 51 and 52, which are pivotally connected with the upwardly extended back leg stiles 2 and 4 by the pintles 53 and 54 projecting inwardly'through said bars 51 and 52 and retained by cotter pins 55 extended through suitably provided apertures therein from within said bag like backrest 50.

It may be observed that the back-rest thus constructed may be detachably connected with the chair structure in tiltable relation to automatically adjust itself to conform to the back of the occupant of the chair, and that said back-rest is cooperative with the chair .seat in sustaining a proportionate share of the weight carried by said seat.

As shownin Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 8, the armrest 6 is so constructed as to afford two relatively angular plane surfaces 56 and 57 of relatively different extent, the surface of greater extent conveniently serving as a table-leaf, and the portion of lesser extent having a groove 59 in its under surface arranged to receive the cylindrical rod or bar 60, which connects the forward and back leg stiles 1 and 2, and which is retained in said groove 59 by the angular keeper 61 secured by the screw 62, extended through the aperture 63, all as shown in Fig. 8, to permit adjustment of the relatively angular surfaces into horizontal position.

The table-leaf 57 is arranged to .be retained in horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, by the brace-bar 65 which is pivoted to the bracket 66 depending from the under surface of said table-leaf, and which is provided with a notch 67 arranged to engage the screw 69 on the leg stile 1, which screw also serves as a pintle for the rotatable hasp 70, preferably formed of sheet metal folded to afford a loop through which the brace-bar v65 extends, and may slide.

As shown in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 8, the bracket 66 has an inturned lug 72 which affords a stop against which the brace-bar 65 engages, not only in the position of the table-leaf as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, but also in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

It may be here noted that in the position of the table-leaf shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the brace-bar 65 so cooperates with the lug 72 and with the hasp 70 as to maintain the tableleaf 57 in such vertical position when depending, as to be held in spaced parallel relation to the leg stiles 1 and 2 and thereby afford freedom of movement of the end fittings 17 on the seat-supporting rail 13 up and down! said stiles.

invention is advantageous in that the various parts of the chair may be readily taken apart and assembled so that said parts can be easily replaced when worn and broken.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames each having leg stiles connected. by rungs provided with recesses, a seat-supporting rail having end fittings slidably engaging the leg stiles of each of said frames and having trellis struts hin edly engaged in the recesses of the run o the opposite frame, and a seat of flexible material connecting said seat-supporting rails.

2. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames each havin leg stiles connected by rungs provided wit recesses, a removable hinge boxing disposed in each of said recesses, a seat-supportin rail having end fittings slidably guided %y the leg stiles of each of said frames and having trellis struts hingedly engaged with the hinge boxing in the recess of the rung of the opposite frame, and a seat of flexible material secured each of said frames thereby and having of the rung of the opposite frame,

5 nected by rungs provided with recesses, a-

hinge boxing removably disposed in each of said recesses, and having opposed projections affording hinge pintles a seat-supporting rail disposed in the plane of the leg stiles of being slidably guided trellis struts hingedly engaged with the projections in said inge boxings in the rung recesses of the opposed frame, and a seat of-flexible material sup- 15 ported by said seat-supporting rails.

4. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames each having leg stiles connected by rungs, hinge members havin their axes disposed between the planes of t e inner and outer surfaces of said leg stiles, a seat-supporting rail disposed in the plane of pivoted end fittings said leg stiles havin y and having trellis slidably guided there struts hingedly enga ed with said hinge members, and a'seat o flexible material supported by said supporting rails.

55. A collapsible chair comprising a fold able seat and dropleaf table, and having relatively movable frames including leg stiles, pivotal means connecting said table to certain of said leg stiles, and so disposed as to cause said table to swing pendent into spaced relation to the leg stiles, seat supporting rails having pivoted end fittings extending laterally beyond said leg stiles and arranged to 'slide thereon, a seat connecting said rails, means for supporting said seat rails, a bracket on said table having a stop, a hasp pivoted to oneof said frames and comprisin a loop, and a brace-bar pivoted to said brac et and extended through the loop of said hasp, and having means cooperative with said hasp to lock the table leaf their movement up and ly movable frames each having leg stiles con-v nected by rungs provided with recesses, a removable hinge boxing disposed in each of said of flexible material secured at its opposite sides to said seat;supporting rails.

7. A combination drop-leaf table and armrest having means ivotally attaching it to theframe of a fol ing chair so that 1n one position it serves as a table and in the other position it serves as an arm-rest, said means spacing thetable from said frame, a bracket on the table leaf, having a stop coo rative with said means, a hasp pivoted to said frame, a brace-bar pivoted to said bracket and slidably engaged with said hasp and having means cooperative with said hasp to lock the table leaf when moved into its horizontal position, and being disposed in the pathof said stop and engaged thereby to so limit its movement that said leaf when dropped into vertical position will, by cooperation of the ivotal means and stop, be maintained space from said frame.

8. A combination drop-leaf table and armrest having means pivotally attached to the frame of a folding chair which is provided with parts projecting laterally beyond said frame and slidable thereon, so that in one position it serves as a table and in the other position it serves as an arm-rest, said means spacing the table from said frame beyond said laterally projecting parts, a'bracket on the table leaf, having a stop, a hasp pivoted to said frame, a brace-bar pivoted to said bracket and slidably engaged with said hasp and having means coo erativewith said hasp to lock the table lea when moved into its horizontal position, and being disposed in the path of said stop and engaged thereby to so limit its movement that said leaf when dropped into vertical position will be maintained spaced from said frame and free from the slidable parts of said chair.

- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of November, A. D. 1930.

THOMAS R. HAYES.

when moved into its horizontal position and being arranged to en-- recesses and having wings provided with opposedconical bearing projections, a seat-supporting rail slidably guided by the leg stiles of each of said frames struts provided with conical sockets receiving said projections and be hingedly engaged thereby with the hinge boxing in and having trellis v the recess and a seat 

